Fired patient advocate denies social media activity was inflammatory

Patrick Cooley

Friday

Oct 25, 2019 at 4:45 PM

State officials expressed concerns about the social media activity of a former medical marijuana patient advocate in the weeks before he was removed from that position. The advocate and his Facebook followers were highly critical of the state's medical marijuana program, and often called out the program's director by name.

In early September, a state official who felt threatened by the social media activity of a medical marijuana patient advocate took her concerns to the State Highway Patrol, which provides security at state government buildings.

A week later, the advocate, Bob Bridges, was fired.

Bridges had specifically criticized Erin Reed, director of medical marijuana for the State Board of Pharmacy, on his Facebook page. Bridges never threatened her, but state officials were concerned about the comments of Bridges’ Facebook followers, some of which included vulgarities. While those comments don't appear to threaten anyone, the pharmacy board worried that they would encourage antagonism toward state workers.

Get the news delivered to your inbox: Sign up for our morning, afternoon and evening newsletters

Bridges called that notion "bogus" in an interview this week with The Dispatch.

“There is a concern the followers’ remarks may incite animosity and anger toward the Board, the Medical Marijuana program, and/or potentially the employees thereof,” said a letter from the pharmacy board to patrol Capt. Gene Jarvi. Bridges obtained the letter through a public records request and shared it with The Dispatch.

The Facebook comments, along with warnings from two unnamed advocates in the patient community, caused Reed to fear for her and her family’s safety, the letter said. In response to questions about the letter and a request for specifics about the warnings, a pharmacy board spokeswoman said the social media posts speak for themselves and the board would not comment further.

Bridges, who often clashed with state officials both online and in person, defended his social media activity.

“All I did was speak the truth,” he said. “I've been very critical from Day One, and I was critical of every shortfall up until my removal.”

"I was only questioning (Reed's) title," Bridges said, adding that it isn't wrong to question government.

The speaker of the Ohio House appoints the patient advocate under the state's 2016 medical marijuana law. Interim Speaker Kirk Schuring, R-Canton, appointed Bridges in 2018 and current Speaker Larry Householder, R-Glenford, removed him. A Householder spokeswoman did not directly link his removal to Reed’s concerns.

“We believe constructive, collaborative engagement is important on any board and believed it was time to go in another direction,” Householder spokeswoman Gail Crawley said in an emailed statement.

Bridges at times refers to state officials as “idiots” in his Facebook posts. The comments accompanying those posts were equally critical, frequently calling out Reed and other officials in the medical marijuana program, sometimes including vulgar invectives. The letter to the patrol cited several examples.

“Okay patients of Ohio, how do you like having a director of medical marijuana who knows nothing about the plant?” Bridges posted on Aug. 23, referring to Reed.

“It makes about as much sense as asking a corgi to run the NASA program,” one follower responded. “Sure their butt looks cute when they wiggle but is anything getting done?”

In another post, Bridges asked if followers were aware there was a director of medical marijuana, and wondered when Reed was appointed. Many comments called for her removal and the removal of other state officials.

“I have said for months, how do you know the effects & how cannabis works?” one follower said in response to one of Bridges’ posts. “Get off the board and have them replaced with real patients!!!”

Distrust of state officials also was a common theme among Bridges’ Facebook followers. “Is this another dubious, politically-drive (sic), highly sketchy appointee?” one asked in response to a post that mentioned Reed by name.

One of the examples cited in the letter is simply a picture of a tattoo on Bridges’ arm that depicts the state of Ohio with a marijuana leaf inside the state lines.

pcooley@dispatch.com

@PatrickACooley

Never miss a story

Choose the plan that's right for you.
Digital access or digital and print delivery.